Entangled Whale Spotted off Georgia Coast
Center for Coastal Studies website
On February 12 the aerial survey team from the New
England Aquarium spotted the first entangled North
Atlantic right
whale of 2002.
An adult male
was spotted
with fishing
line coming
from its right
side near the
mouth and
flipper region
and across the
whale's back.
There appears
to be a short
length of line
ending near
the flukes and
at least 100
feet of line
trailing behind.
According to
Chris Slay of the New England Aquarium, "this is an
almost ‘typical’ entanglement it seems nowadays." The
entanglement does not appear to be life-threatening on a
short-term basis. The whale has been identified by
researchers at the New England Aquarium as #1424
(pictured here), first sighted in 1981 and last seen this
past September in the Bay of Fundy, Canada without any
fishing gear. There is a chance the whale may free itself
of the gear, which happens in many cases.
Photo by chris Slay, New England Aquarium Note: Fishing gear across right whale's back
On February 12 the aerial survey team from the New
England Aquarium spotted the first entangled North
Atlantic right
whale of 2002.
An adult male
was spotted
with fishing
line coming
from its right
side near the
mouth and
flipper region
and across the
whale's back.
There appears
to be a short
length of line
ending near
the flukes and
at least 100
feet of line
trailing behind.
According to
Chris Slay of the New England Aquarium, "this is an
almost ‘typical’ entanglement it seems nowadays." The
entanglement does not appear to be life-threatening on a
short-term basis. The whale has been identified by
researchers at the New England Aquarium as #1424
(pictured here), first sighted in 1981 and last seen this
past September in the Bay of Fundy, Canada without any
fishing gear. There is a chance the whale may free itself
of the gear, which happens in many cases.